What is Art?

“What is art?”, well to ask that I would first start with “what is not art”. It all depends on who you ask. For me art is anything that can be created. I know it may be too simple but once I start to put boundaries around it or put it into a box, I start to contradict myself. For example, “art is something created and then displayed for others to observe”, I start to ask myself why do others have to observe it to be art? If I create a work of art in the deep woods then a storm rolls through and destroys it, is it not art because people can’t view it? So I guess I come to the conclusion that art is a visual form that is created with the understanding that the artist went through a process of decision making, tactile expression, and inner emotion to create the form.

What is Therapy

Therapy is a session where the client is working through life’s difficulties obtaining to them (the client) alongside a therapist. In the world we live in today I feel as though anyone, and everyone can benefit from therapy. It is a time and place where you are able to talk things through, figure out problems or hard situations with someone who has been educated in helping you through the process. No problem or situation is too small. There are many different types of therapy and depending on what a person is going though at that time one may be better than the other at achieving that goal.

A therapist is someone you can form a trust and bond with. Being able to lay your life on the table and not being judged for something is a special thing that happens throughout therapy. The best thing that I think comes out of therapy is when you are working through a problem and you are able to find your own, or come to your own, solution guided by the therapist. This is where personal growth happens and you form tools for your life and situations that you may come across in your future. 

Why Art Therapy?

So you ask what is Art Therapy? Well this is where the beautiful connection of the two come to form. Art Therapy is the co-exist of both parties. You are able to use art as a tool to work through situations in you life with the guide of a therapist. There are times where you are not able to linguistically explain how you are feeling about a certain situation, or what your thoughts are on how you feel about a certain problem occurring. This is where art becomes magical and fills in for the voice. Other uses for art could just be a calming tool or stress releases. It’s not about the final product always, sometimes it is what happens during the creation that may be useful for oneself. Something may come to surface during this time and by being able to reflect on it you are able to grow. 

There are times where art may be a mirror for yourself, where you really don’t know what you are thinking or feeling but when it is staring right back at you, you are able to see the whole picture of what may be going on inside. This is why Art Therapy is so beautiful and helpful, you can process what is happening inside and form something tangible. It may not always be this case but I think if you open your mind and heart to the creative process you will then find yourself looking into you mind and heart from the outside.